Article 25 of the Agreement was replaced under SI 2004/1274 and again under SI2008/1793. The following provisions apply from 4 November 2003 until 28 August 2008. The exchange of information provisions applying after 28 August 2008 may be viewed through the “New treaties/protocols in force” link on the side bar.

(1) The competent authorities of the Contracting States shall exchange such information as is foreseeably relevant to the administration or enforcement of the provisions of this Convention or of the domestic laws of the Contracting States concerning taxes covered by this Convention insofar as the taxation thereunder is not contrary to this Convention, in particular, to prevent fraud and to facilitate the administration of statutory provisions against legal avoidance. The exchange of information is not restricted by Article 1 of this Convention. Any information received by a Contracting State shall be treated as secret in the same manner as information obtained under the domestic laws of that State but may be disclosed to and only to persons or authorities (including courts and administrative bodies) concerned with the assessment or collection of, the enforcement or prosecution in respect of, or the determination of appeals in relation to, the taxes covered by this Convention or the oversight of the above. Such persons or authorities shall use the information only for such purposes. They may disclose the information in public court proceedings or in judicial decisions.

(2) If information is requested by a Contracting State in accordance with this Article, the other Contracting State shall use its information gathering measures to obtain the requested information in the same way as if its own taxation were involved, even though that other State may not need such information for its own tax purposes. If specifically requested by the competent authority of a Contracting State, the competent authority of the other Contracting State shall so far as possible provide information under this Article in the form requested.

(3) In no case shall the provisions of paragraphs (1) and (2) of this Article be construed so as to impose on a Contracting State the obligation:

(a) to carry out administrative measures at variance with the laws and administrative practice of that or of the other Contracting State;

(b) to supply information which is not obtainable under the laws or in the normal course of the administration of that or of the other Contracting State;

(c) to supply information which would disclose any trade, business, industrial, commercial or professional secret or trade process, or information whose disclosure would be contrary to public policy.

(4) In no case shall the provisions of paragraph (3) of this Article be construed so as to permit a Contracting State to decline to supply information solely because the information is held by a bank, other financial institution, nominee or person acting in an agency or a fiduciary capacity or relates to ownership interests in a person.

The former Article 25 was as follows:(1) The competent authorities of the Contracting States shall exchange such information as is necessary for carrying out the provisions of this Convention or of the domestic laws of the Contracting States concerning taxes covered by the Convention insofar as the taxation thereunder is not contrary to the Convention. Any information received by a Contracting State shall be treated as secret and shall be disclosed only to persons or authorities (including courts and administrative bodies) involved in the assessment or collection of, the enforcement or prosecution in respect of, or the determination of appeals in relation to, the taxes covered by the Convention. Such persons or authorities shall use the information only for such purposes. They may disclose the information in public court proceedings or in judicial decisions.

(2) In no case shall the provisions of paragraph (1) of this Article be construed so as to impose on the competent authority of either Contracting State the obligation:

to carry out administrative measures at variance with laws and administrative practice prevailing in either Contracting State;

to supply information which is not obtainable under laws or in the normal course of the administration of either Contracting State;

to supply information which would disclose any trade, business, industrial, commercial or professional secret or trade process, or information the disclosure of which would be contrary to public policy.

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